The GRU's Unit 29155, widely known for its rather messy "special operations" like poisonings and explosions, apparently also tried its hand at cyber warfare, with equally questionable results. It turns out this highly secretive military intelligence unit assembled a hacking team that included a surprising mix of convicted financial fraudsters, fresh-faced students, and GRU veterans who, frankly, seemed to struggle with basic computer skills. One might wonder if their "IT specialists" actually knew how to turn a computer on, let alone hack anything serious.
Leading the charge was a colourful character named Tim Stigal, also known by his cover identity, Danila Magomedov, who seemed to have a knack for getting into trouble and exposing himself online. This "cyber maestro" orchestrated numerous provocations, including clumsy attempts to discredit journalists by falsely attributing stolen data to them. His team even went so far as to leak names and photos of Ukrainian soldiers' children, shamelessly blaming others for their own dirty work. Among their ranks was also Alexey Stroganov, a convicted carder who somehow landed a gig with military counterintelligence after an early release from prison. It seems the "elite" hacking force was more like a collection of desperate amateurs.
Their operations often ended in public embarrassment. While they did manage a hack on a Qatari bank, which was then conveniently blamed on some obscure Turkish group, most of their other ventures were pure comedy. We're talking about recruiting low-level agents to spray anti-Zelensky graffiti in Ukrainian cities, paying them a measly dollar or five per masterpiece. They even firebombed a Ukrainian official's house, a feat of sheer "subtlety". The unit’s internal affairs were just as chaotic, with allegations of significant embezzlement and laughable digital security practices. One of their main leaders, Roman Puntus, even managed to expose a top-secret server because he was apparently too busy with his romantic escapades to secure it.
Despite a track record riddled with blunders and self-exposure, this peculiar GRU hacking outfit continues to operate. It appears their higher-ups are either too preoccupied with other dubious projects or simply don't care about their team's chronic incompetence. Perhaps it's a testament to the fact that even highly incompetent entities can survive and "thrive" if they have the right patronage.
